Overview
- Microsoft announced in early November that Windows 11 version 26H2 (build 26300.9818 or later) and updated Edge, Microsoft 365 and Teams deliver lab-tested improvements that it says make 8GB PCs up to 20% more responsive and up to 40% faster at multitasking.
- The company says better memory compression lets Windows keep up to about 2 GB more active data in RAM so apps and tabs are less likely to reload when you return to them.
- Microsoft reports coordinated changes across Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365 cut committed-memory growth by as much as 900 MB in its multitasking tests, with Office apps alone saving roughly 360 MB in some scenarios.
- Specific behavior changes for low‑RAM machines include Widgets loading only on open, Edge putting inactive tabs to sleep after 15 minutes by default, and Teams defaulting to an Efficiency Mode to lower resource use.
- Microsoft stresses these figures come from its telemetry and controlled lab tests, says results will vary by device and workload, and plans more compression tuning plus work with OEM and silicon partners to free more usable memory.